Abstract
The goal of adolescent sexual reproductive health (SRH) services is to provide information, education and healthcare to promote safe health practices and protect adolescents from negative health outcomes; however, access to timely, effective, and affordable SRH services by adolescents in Edmonton, Canada remains relatively unknown. Our study sought to understand the perspectives and experiences of adolescent girls and service providers in relation to availability, accessibility, and quality of SRH services available in Edmonton. The study objectives were to explore SRH services adolescents seek, uncover barriers in accessing SRH services and identify areas to improve accessibility. Qualitative description design was employed to conduct this study. Five service providers specializing in SRH, and eight females (ages 17–20 years) that access SRH services were recruited from the Alberta Health Services Birth Control Centre (BCC). Semi-structured interviews took place via Zoom. Thematic analysis was conducted using NVIVO software. Findings consisted of four primary themes: (1) views and current SRH practices; (2) barriers to accessibility; (3) the effects of COVID-19 on accessibility; (4) identified gaps in SRH care. The findings from our study support the development of knowledge translation strategies and make recommendations to improve the present quality of SRH services in Edmonton.
Highlights
Academic Editor: Silvano BertelloniThe World Health Organization (WHO) defines the period of adolescence as 10–19 years of age and describes it as the phase in which significant growth and development occurs [1].During this period, adolescents experience the physical changes of puberty, menstruation, alterations in body image, and begin to explore sex and other sexual acts
A qualitative description (QD) approach was used to identify specific sexual reproductive health (SRH) service gaps and barriers from the perspectives of adolescent girls living in Edmonton and SRH
Almost all (n = 7) of the adolescent participants were currently enrolled in University or post-secondary institution
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the period of adolescence as 10–19 years of age and describes it as the phase in which significant growth and development occurs [1]. During this period, adolescents experience the physical changes of puberty, menstruation, alterations in body image, and begin to explore sex and other sexual acts. Young Canadians aged 15–24 years are disproportionately affected by sexual reproductive health issues, including higher rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) compared to other older age groups [2], with rates significantly greater for those that identify as female than those that identify as male [3].
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